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October 12, 2012

Advocate Groups Seek Federal Prescription Drug Requirements

A group of 57 patient advocacy organizations have sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius asking the federal government to set strong prescription drug requirements under the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. health care reform), according to a statement from The AIDS Institute, which is part of the group. HHS will soon announce regulations that would establish minimum coverage rules, including for prescription drugs, that will clarify what all states will have to cover as essential health benefits. The group, which also includes such organizations as the American Lung Association and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, wants HHS to not restrict coverage to only one-drug-per-class in a plan’s formulary. The group argues that restricting access to drugs would hurt patients because not all of them respond to medicines in the same way and they may not receive the best drug for their needs.

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